DALLAS
A federal judge today sentenced a parole officer to six months in prison for giving favorable treatment to a parolee, a convicted drug dealer, in exchange for cash including $2,000 to avoid law enforcement officials, authorities announced.
U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle sentenced Breanna Polk, 32, of Dallas, to six months following her guilty plea in June to one count of honest services wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Texas.
Polk, who is out on bond, must surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on Jan. 6.
Polk was facing a maximum of 20 years behind bars and a fine of around $350,000, authorities indicated.
According to plea documents filed in the case, on August 2, 2007, a parolee with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice reported to his parole officer, Polk, at the Garland, Texas, parole office.
Polk advised the individual she planned to take a trip to Florida to celebrate her birthday.
The parolee, only identified by authorities as person A, left approximately $500 on Polk’s desk.
On at least two other occasions between August 2007 and March 2010, the same individual paid more than $500 to receive favorable treatment from Polk concerning the conditions of his parole.
In March 2010, the parolee absconded to Mexico to avoid DEA law enforcement in connection with his illegal drug distribution, officials stated.
One month later, Polk went to a Burger King near the Garland parole office and was paid $2,000 by the parolee’s wife, according to prosecutors. In exchange, Polk agreed to help the parolee avoid federal law enforcement by indicating that he reported to parole as directed, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Polk also agreed to check for any arrest warrants and notify the couple if the parolee had any, according to officials.
Polk did so in June 2010 when she accessed the FBI’s National Crime Information Center and the Texas Crime Information Center to look for active warrants. She then sent the couple information from the computer search, authorities said
The FBI and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice – Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.